The Italian culture ministry last Monday announced it buys the Richard Ginori Museum at Sesto Fiorentino near Florence, which keeps a precious collection of one of Europe's first porcelain and ceramics manufactories. The purchase, worth €700,000, was announced by Culture Minister Dario Franceschini, who said that an exceptional collection, a fundamental part of Italian heritage, was saved. The museum, belonging to one of the oldest manufactories of porcelains and ceramics in Europe, the Doccia, was set on a path to ruin unless a buyer was successfully found.

The collection includes objects of majolica, porcelain and pottery, made by the factory from 1737 to today. One section is dedicated to ceramics produced by other manufactories between the late 19th century and the early 20th century. Models in lead, terracotta, gesso, sulphur and wax are also conserved. The building, along with the collection, will become part of the national museum network, allowing the ministry to oversee the institution’s protection and promotion.